NEWS

Elias Montoya Interview

Tonight we hear from the state police officer who opened fire on a van full of kids in Taos.

Updated: 10:20 PM MST Jan 17, 2014

Advertisement

Advertisement

Share

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Elias Montoya Interview

Tonight we hear from the state police officer who opened fire on a van full of kids in Taos.

Updated: 10:20 PM MST Jan 17, 2014

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

Elias Montoya Interview

Tonight we hear from the state police officer who opened fire on a van full of kids in Taos.

Updated: 10:20 PM MST Jan 17, 2014

Share

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Advertisement

WEBVTT JOB. THE SCENE... CAUGHT ON CAMERA... SPARKED BOTH OUTRAGE AND SYMPATHY FOR FORMER OFFICER ELIAS MONTOYA. TONIGHT, WE ARE HEARING FROM MONTOYA HIMSELF. ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER ANNA VELASQUEZ IS LIVE WITH AN EXCLUSIVE ABC NEWS INTERVIEW YOU'LL SEE ONLY ON 7. ELIAS MONTOYA IS TELLING HIS STORY ONLY TO ABC NEWS. TODAY - HE TOOK NIGHTLINE TO TAOS, AND THE SCENE OF THE SHOOTING. ELIAS MONTOYA SHOWED ABC NIGHTLINE REPORTER RYAN OWENS... THE WINDING ROAD IN TAOS... WHERE HE MADE THE DECISION TO OPEN FIRE AT WHAT HE BELIEVED AT THE TIME WAS A THREAT. :03 what does it feel like to be back in this spot? Well, I could just see everything again in my mind how things happened that day :13 nats of gunfire MONTOYA SAYS HE DIDN'T KNOW CHILDREN WERE THE MINIVAN. AND WHEN HE FOUND OUT, HIS HEART SANK. :33 can you help but second guess yourself a little as you stand here and think, boy what if I did do this or didn't do this? I believe I could do that IF I knew I had different information :45 THE ONLY INFORMATION MONTOYA SAYS HE HAD, WAS THAT ANOTHER OFFICER WAS OUT WITH AN UNRULY DRIVER. HE DIDN'T KNOW THE EXTENT OF IT. BUT WHEN HE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, THE UNRULY DRIVER... ORIANA FERRELL... HAD JUST JUMPED BACK INTO THE MINIVAN. MONTOYA SAYS HE SAW A MALE OUT WITH THE OFFICER, WHO HAD HIS SERVICE WEAPON DRAWN. MONTOYA TOLD ABC NEWS, HE ONLY SAW SILOHUETTES IN THE MINIVAN, AND HEARD THE WORD GUN. When that van started taking off sure I had a split second to decide what I was going to do and so I did it and I'm not saying it was right or wrong but I was not really concerned at that time, about my safety, about the other officers safety. I was concerned about the public ELIAS MONTOYA'S STORY AIRS ON NIGHTLINE TONIGHT. HIS STORY ALSO APPEARED ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA... BOTH HERE ON CHANNEL 7. BUT A-B-C'S LEGAL EXPERT EXPLAINED IT MAY BE TOUGH FOR MONTOYA TO GET HIS JOB BACK BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC ATTENTION AND THE VIDEO. NEW INFORMATION TONIGHT ON THE MOTHER WHO WAS BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE MINIVAN. ORIANA FERRELL'S TRIAL HAS BEEN DELAYED UNTIL OCTOBER. SHE'S CHARGED WITH CHILD ABUSE, AGGRAVATED FLEEING FROM AN OFFICER, AND POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNELIA. STATE POLICE INVESTIGATORS